I remember back in the day, always looking forward to seeing what ratings the developers of sports games, including the wrestling games, would give to my favorite players. Over the years, they have given us, the audience, the ability to change those ratings, but for me it was always interesting to see what others thought about players or wrestlers that we supported. I remember back with the SmackDown vs. Raw games, they started releasing the ratings of the wrestlers early with cool images that showed not only the overall rating for the wrestler, but what the sub ratings were as well like Strength, Submission, Durability, Technique, Speed, and Charisma.

Obviously, the higher-rated wrestlers were more balanced and had high ratings in most, if not, all of the categories, while other wrestlers might have had a few strengths, while also having a few definite weaknesses.

Over the years, the wrestling games in particular have added more attributes to the wrestlers, which means there’s more ways to point out a wrestlers strengths, weaknesses and everything in between. You may ask, what does this have to do with joshi pro wrestling in Japan? Well, that’s where The Joshi Wrestler Index comes in.

With the love of attaching ratings to wrestlers, I decided that it would be fun to do the same for the best wrestlers in the world, joshi pro wrestlers, but I didn’t want to do it alone. Everyone has different opinions on what is good or bad wrestling, or what makes a good or bad wrestler, and I wanted to try to get as many voices in on this as possible. I wanted these ratings to be something that everyone came together for as a joshi wrestling fan community, because every voice should be heard.

First and foremost, I had to come up with what categories we were going to rate these wrestlers on. Obviously, it would take forever to try to rate these wrestlers on all of the attributes that a WWE2K25 would use, so that’s why I chose to keep it a little more simple, but also in depth enough to get a good picture of how good the wrestler is.

With that, I used some of the general terms from a pro wrestling game of cards and dice called SuperShow: The Game that I played quite a bit of a few years ago: Power, Technical, Agility, Grappling, and Striking. That covered the physical side of things when it comes to grading the talent, but there’s more than just that, that comes to mind when grading a wrestler.

Wrestling Psychology is something that can make a good match become a great match if they have the right mind for it. There are many wrestlers who have great physical abilities, but lack in the psychology department to make the match as epic as it should be.

Last but not least, we had to try to break down what makes a wrestler charismatic, so instead of just adding a charisma category, I broke it down into: Looks and Star Power. Now, don’t get upset about “looks” being one of the ratings, as I’m not just talking about their physical appearance such as their physique or facial beauty, I’m instead talking about the total package. Someone like Aja Kong isn’t going to win any beauty competitions most likely, but when it comes to looking menacing and that look becoming iconic, I’d have to rate her “looks” as very high.

If you’d like a better description of what each rating category means, then here’s the way that I define them.

Power – A wrestler’s ability to use power related moves and how well they are known for using their power inside of the ring.

Technical – A wrestler’s ability to do throws and suplexes as well as their ability to do their moves cleanly without messing up.

Agility – A wrestler’s ability to perform at a high speed as well as their ability to perform high flying moves.

Grappling – A wrestler’s ability to use submissions and chain wrestling as realistic looking offense.

Striking – A wrestler’s ability to use strikes effectively as a realistic part of their offense.

Psychology – A wrestler’s ability to use good psychology in their matches to make them make sense and tell a story.

Looks – A wrestler’s looks when it comes to marketability. This includes both their physical look as well as their wrestling attire.

Star Power – A wrestler’s natural star power when it comes to marketability. It also includes their ability to talk on the mic and charisma shown.

As you can see, I tried to keep things somewhat broad, but also give an idea of what I’m looking for with each attribute, and I must say, I was happy with how people rated our first wrestler in these different categories. With the categories set though, I needed to figure out how I was going to get a good realistic rating for each of these wrestlers, because I can admit that there are probably people who watch more wrestling than me.

I reached out to many of the voices who cover the sport whether that’s in podcast form or in text through twitter and various websites as I felt they had their hand on the proverbial pulse better than anyone. I sent out a special Google Form to them that allows them to get a bit more in depth with their ratings, and you’ll see later on a few words that they wanted to add on top of their own numbered ratings.

I didn’t want to cut out the fellow fans of joshi who may not have a big voice in the joshi wrestling space though, so I made a separate Google Form for people to anonymously rate the wrestler as well, which would all be put together as a collective “crowd” rating for that wrestler. With that, and the ratings from each of the content creators averaged all together, we get the finalized RESURA Joshi Wrestler Index rating for that wrestler. Enough blabbering though, let’s get to the subject at hand, and our very first wrestler that will be rated…

SAREEE – FREELANCER

It should be no surprise that the first wrestler we wanted to put a rating on with this series was none other than the 2024 Tokyo Sports Women’s Wrestling Award winner Sareee. Last year, she was the best of the best, and that can’t really be argued against, and this year, she’s already off to a pretty great start even though she has only wrestled a few matches.

When rating a wrestler, it’s important to try to find some of the best and worst, so that you know where to rate others in between, so it’s only fitting that we’d pick someone who was seen as the best last year so that we can properly grade others based on her. Sareee is regarded as one of the best wrestlers on the planet, but she’s not perfect by any means. Is there any “perfect” wrestlers out there? Probably not, but there are some that are much more balanced than others, and you’ll see that the balance is what helps Sareee hit some high marks.

Just how high will she go though? You’ll have to read on to find out!

My Rating: 7

Honestly, power might be one of her lowest grades, but it’s not because she’s not strong, or very physical. Sareee has the ability to lift just about any fellow joshi wrestler she’s in the ring with other than the super heavyweights. She has enough strength to do her throws, but she doesn’t use a lot of power-based moves, so that stunts her rating a bit lower than someone who is known for power.

Matt Turner’s Rating: 8

“Sareee has explosive power. Not just in the incredible Uranage she throws but also her brutal double stomp that wears her opponents down.“

@MattTurnerOF on X

FAR5222’s Rating: 8.5

“Sareee was able to man handle people bigger than her from names like Bozilla, Utami Hayashishita, and Chihiro Hashimoto. The power of her headbutt and being able to lift about anyone for her Uranage.”

@FAR5222 on X

Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 8

“For a woman her size, she uses power moves like suplexes and her Uranage as her finisher, even when her opponents are bigger than her.”

@Jferimsw on X

OVERALL POWER RATING: 7.44

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 9

Other than being absolutely vicious with strikes, Sareee to me is known for her ability to throw wrestlers onto their heads whether they accept it or not. Sareee knows how to get her hips under her opponents so that they go flying, and her Uranage is one of the most vicious throws in all of wrestling! The second part of this grade goes to just how smoothly she can do all of her moves. You’re not going to see Sareee messing up moves, or performing sloppily unless that’s supposed to be the case.

All in all, she’s one of the best in technical sense, but not quite good enough for me to give her a 10.

Dave Coumans’ Rating: 10

“Pound for pound probably the best technical wrestler on the current joshi scene. Her execution is perfect!”

Check Out His Work On RESURA

Matt Turner’s Rating: 7

“Sareee is an underrated technical wrestler. She can start her matches out with great technique to get a feel on her opponents and what she needs to do to win”

@MattTurnerOF on X

OVERALL TECHNICAL RATING: 8.89

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 8.5

Sareee has the ability to work at a pretty fast pace, especially if she’s in there with someone who is very quick as well. I’m not sure I’d call her a high-speed wrestler, per say, but she does use some pretty mean running drop kicks, and a devastating double stomp from the top rope.

Matt Turner’s Rating: 7.5

“Sareee’s agility is a part of her strategy not used very often, but she will go to this part of her offense if need be.”

@MattTurnerOF on X

FAR5222’s Rating: 8

“The speed and urgency is unmatched to anyone of her peers and at the level she works at.“

@FAR5222 on X

OVERALL AGILITY RATING: 7.78

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 9

Sareee is quite the grappler when she wants to be, especially when she’s taking on an opponent who has a lot less experience than her. She’s very good at chain wrestling, and using submissions that truly look like they hurt. I wouldn’t call her a submission specialist, but she’s very good at it!

Matt Turner’s Rating: 8.5

“Sareee is a great grappler. She’s able to use old school catch wrestling style submissions to gain victories, like her arm bar and rear naked choke. She also uses a high collar and waist lock to set up her uranage that has gained her several wins“

@MattTurnerOF on X

OVERALL GRAPPLING RATING: 8.61

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 9.5

Whether it’s the hard drop kicks, or the incredibly powerful forearm shots that she delivers to her opponents, one thing is always for sure, the opponent is definitely going to feel it! While I wouldn’t call her wrestling style a “striking” style per say, she uses her strikes effectively to damage her opponents and open them up for her other strong attacks. Also, you can’t forget that she does seem to love to use the headbutt which is both scary, and effective.

PlugPedro’s Rating: 10

“To fully eloborate here, Sareee has become again, one of fiercest strikers and stand up wrestlers in the wrestling world again and her matches have proved she can stand toe to toe with specialists and established workers from old to new.”

@plugpedro99 on X

Xavi’s Rating: 8

“Feel like her forearms and headbutts are lethal, but she doesn’t do any kicks or things of that nature, so I feel this is respectable.”

@Xaviiism on X

Dave Coumans’ Rating: 9.5

“Sareee hits hard! She’s not a brawler by definition, but she can mix it up with the best of them.”

Check Out His Work On RESURA

OVERALL STRIKING RATING: 9.4

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 10

I feel like with Sareee, you can tell that she’s had some of the greatest joshi wrestlers of all time around her during her training over the years, because she uses very impressive psychology in her matches. No matter what type of story that you’re trying to tell inside of the ring, Sareee can make you truly believe every moment of it, and that’s a skill that a lot of wrestlers simply don’t have. The fact that she’s still as young as she is, is pretty crazy when it comes to how mature she is in the ring, both physically and mentally.

Matt Turner’s Rating: 10

“Sareee’s psychological game plan works to perfection almost every time. Her winning percentage in the last two years is one of the highest in all of wrestling. She doesn’t mind taking a few big blows in order to apply her game plan to get her hand raised. She’s a throwback.“

@MattTurnerOF on X

OVERALL PSYCHOLOGY RATING: 9.54

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 10

If you think about what a superstar in joshi wrestling looks like, you’d think about Sareee. With her red, gold and white coloring on her ring gear matching not only the moniker of “The Sun God,” but also matching the red belt strap of Marigold’s World Title, as well as the white belt strap of SEAdLINNNG’s Beyond The Sea Championship. Unfortunately she lost both of those titles somewhat recently, but the fact still remains that white and red are two of the most powerful colors in joshi pro wrestling.

She also has the look of someone who can easily be on every pro wrestling magazine in the country, which in turn makes her very marketable and in turn, a draw for any company she wrestles for.

Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 9

“Not particularly tall. Her gear is pretty standard. However, her presence is imposing.”

@Jferimsw on X

Matt Turner’s Rating: 8

“Sareee’s cold stare when she makes her entrance would make even they toughest wrestlers shake in the boots. She’s dawned in all red as a tribute to the late great Antoni Inoki. You know from the moment her music his your seeing a once in a generation talent.“

@MattTurnerOF on X

FAR5222’s Rating: 10

“The robe, and gear tied in with her mannerisms is the whole package. She walks out with an identity and is appointment watch when she comes on the screen.”

@FAR5222 on X

OVERALL LOOKS RATING: 9.05

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

My Rating: 10

At this moment in time, there are very few in the business who can match Sareee’s star power, especially in Japan! Not only does she look the part, but she also has the ability to tear down every opponent that she faces with a mic in her hand. Sareee is very good at using both social media, as well as the pro wrestling publications to get her words out to as many fans as possible, and that in turn, makes her one of the biggest stars in joshi wrestling today!

Wrestling Is Her’s Rating: 9

“Sareee has, more than almost anyone else in joshi, made an undeniable presence of herself. It’s impossible to overlook the fact that she is a star from her work in the ring to how she puts on her own can’t-miss shows.“

@WrestlingisHer on X

PlugPedro’s Rating: 9

“One of the best people when it comes to answering questions in articles and a demon when it comes to trash talk.“

@plugpedro99 on X

Xavi’s Rating: 10

“She won the Tokyo Sports award as a freelancer which is insanely hard to do, especially now.“

@Xaviiism on X

Jeff Brown’s Rating: 10

“A transcendent star“

@JeffBrown1982 on X

OVERALL STAR POWER RATING: 9.59

Based On: 13 Creators & 26 “Crowd” Entries

I think a member from the “crowd” who submitted their ratings also summed Sareee up quite well: “I think Sareee is everything any promotion would want in a top guy. She can work, she has memorable moves that the crowds recognize, and she’s got a great look.”

As you can see, there were many people who submitted their ratings with a total turnout of 39, which is honestly pretty good for the first edition of this. I did send the form out to more content creators than just the 13 who voted, so hopefully on the next one, you’ll see even more participation. We had 26 members of the joshi wrestling fandom turn out and submit their ratings, and while that’s quite good, I think we can do even better next time. With all of that said though, let’s move onto what Sareee’s final overall rating is…

8.79 is a pretty good score to start with, and I have a feeling that she’ll be up at the top even when we’re 10 or 20 wrestlers into the index. I will keep a list of all of the wrestlers rated at the bottom of each article so that you can see where they stack up, and I’m sure after quite a few articles I’ll go back over some of the statistics to show who is best in each category, because I’m a numbers guy, what can I say?

So now that it’s all said and done, what do you guys think? Was this fun? Did you enjoy it? There’s no definite way to rate a wrestler properly, because like I said before, it’s all a matter of opinion, but hopefully with a lot of people’s input, we’ll be able to put together an index of joshi wrestlers that we, as fans, can all be proud of.

If you’d like to check out any of the creators that sent in their ratings for this first edition of the Joshi Wrestler Index, I’ll put their links down below. A lot of them are making great content, that I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

Matt Turner – FAR5222 – PlugPedro – Ryan Dilbert – Peps_Wrestling – Wrestling Is Her – Sondre Bjorn – Fernando Ibarra – Jeff Brown – Dylan Murray – Xavi – Myself

Next Wrestler Being Rated: Momo Watanabe